Automatic vending-machine



4 Sheets-Sheet 1.

( No Model.)

H. T. OREPEAU. AUTOMATIC VENDING MAGHINE.

No. 417,354. Patented Dec. 17, 1889.

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H. T. GREPEAU.

AUTOMATIC VENDING MACHINE. No. 417354. Patented Dec, 17, 1889.

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No. 417,354. Patented Dec. 17, 1889 N. 1 mins inmvmm her. Washingiun. n. a

l UNITE STATES PATEnrrv OFFICE.

HENRY T. GREPEAU, OF HAVERHILL, MASSAQHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO FRED- ERICK C. BOYD, OF BRIDGEPORT, CONNECTICUT.

AUTOMATIC VENDING-MACHINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 417,354, dated December 17, 1889.

Application filed July 17, 1839- Serial No. 317,761. (N model.)

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, HENRY T. CREPEAU, a citizen of the United States, residing at Haverhill, in the county of Essex and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Automatic Vending- Machines; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to certain new and useful improvements in machines for automatically selling merchandise of various kinds; but it is particularly adapted for the sale of cigars or articles put up in small packages, such as cigarettes or confections.

The objects of my invention are to furnish a machine which shall be simple in construction and cheap to manufacture, which shall discriminate between the coin for which it is adapted and coins of other denominations, in which the operating mechanism shall be screened fromview, and in which the opening of the top of the case for the insert-ion of a fresh supply of goods will not admit of the inspection or operation of the device by which the drawer is released.

With these ends in view my invention consists in the coin-operated device whereby the drawer is released, in the arrangement of the chute and the means whereby it is connected with the slots at the front of the case for the introduction of the coin, in the looking of the partition so that it can be with drawn only by one having accessboth to the top of the machine and to the money-drawer, and, generally, in the details of construction and combination of elements hereinafter fully explained, and then recited in the claims.

In order that those skilled in the art to which my invention appertains may fully understand its construction and method of operation, I will describe the same in detail, reference being bad to the accompanying drawings, which form a part of this specificathrough one of the Sides whereof the other is a duplicate; Fig. 3, a detail plan view of the drawer and the locking mechanism therefor; Fig. 4, a detail vertical section through the drawer, showing the latch in its disengaged position; Fig. 5, a detail vertical section showing in full lines the cover partially raised, so that the slot and chute are disconnected, and in dotted lines the position of the cover and block when turned entirely back; Fig. 6, a detail transverse vertical section showing the means for locking the partitions.

Like numerals denote the same parts in all the figures of the drawings.

1 is the case, which is provided with a hinged and locked cover 2 at its top, and with a locked money-receptacle,'as a drawer 3, beneath. plate or plates 4, according as the machine is adapted for one or more kinds or qualities of goods. Behind the glass front and at a distance therefrom suflicient to accommodate the goods is a partition 5, preferably of wood, which forms a backing against which. the goods rest, and which also prevents inspection of the working parts of the machine. The partition is arranged in ways, (see Fig. 6,) and when moved is drawn upward through the top of the case. For the purpose hereinafter explained, however, it is normally held as against such withdrawal by a tongue 6, which extends through'a slot into the moneydrawer and is held by a pin,7 or other suitable fastening device, which passes through it.

8 is a chute supported in brackets 9 within the case at the rear of the slide just described, the upper end of said chute resting close to said slide, which from thence to its top is slotted, as seen at'Figs. 2 and 5.

Hinged upon the cover 2 is a block 10, of a size just sufficient to fill the space between the front of the case and the slide. (See Figs. 2 and 5.) Said block has aslot 11 passing obliquely through it, which slot, when the block is in its closed posit-ion, as .at Fig. 2, connects the upper end of the chute 8 with the opening 12 at the front of the machine, in which the coin is adapted to be deposited. The object in using this block is to admit of the locking devices and chute being placed at the rear of the case and of a connection The front of the case has a glass between the chute and slot, while at the same time the cigars or other merchandise may, by raising the block, be inserted through the hinged cover at the top.

13 is a drawer arranged in the case between slide 5. Near its front end, and immediately beneath the space in which the goods are piled, this drawer has a transverse recess ll, in which the lowermost article normally rests, and in the construction of the drawer the height from the bottom of the recess to the top of the front of the drawer is slightly greater than the thickness of one of the articles to be sold. Just behind the recess just referred to is a locking-aperture 15, cut through or partially through the drawer, and at the rear of this aperture the drawer is cut away toward its rear end. (See Figs. 2 and t 16 is a stop secured to the bottom of the drawer and running in a slot in the partition beneath it, whereby the outward movement. of the drawer is limited.

17 is a spring secured to the drawer and to some fixed point in the case, whereby said drawer is returned to its closed position after it has been pulled out and released.

18 is a bifurcated bracket secured to the case slightly above the line of the drawer, and between its outer ends is pivoted alever 19, having at its forward end a dowmvardlyprojecting hook 20, adapted to engage the locking-aperture in the drawer, and at its l rear end a pan or plate 21, whose roar eX.; tremity is slightly contracted in width and extends between two vertical projections or 4 posts 22 on the bracket. (See Figs. 3 and 4.) The lower end of the chute terminates directly above the pan and slightly in front of the posts. The leveris so pivoted as tobe slightly overbalaneed at the hook end, which is normally engaged with the locking-aperture in the drawer when the latter is closed.

The money-reccptacle, as is seen at Figs. 2,3, and 4, is open. relative to the goods-drawer at its rear end to receive the coins as thev are deposited. v

The operationof inyinvention is as follows: The machine is filled with the merchandise such as cigars or the liketo be sold by raising the hinged cover and inserting the goods between the glass front and the partition, the blocks being of course raised with the cover, so as to leave the merchandise-space entirely open. The cover is then closed and locked, the blocks returning to the position shown at Fig. 2, so as to connect the coin-slot with the chute. \Vhen the proper coin isinsertcd, it passes down the chute and lands upon the pan at the rear end of the locking-lever,therebv overbalancing the hook and lifting it out of the locking-aperture in the drawer. The coin is retained upon the pan by its engagement with the two vertical posts upon the bracket, which are so close together as to preclude the passage of the coin between them. A coin smaller thanthat for which the machine is adapted will pass between the posts into the money-receptacle beneath without operating the lever. If a coin of the proper size be used, but which is lighter than the coin for l which the machine is designed, it will fail to the money-drawer and the lower end of the raise the lever and release the drawer. A coin of excessive size cannot be inserted through the slot at the front of the machine. hen the hook has been lifted out of the lockingaperture by a proper coin, the drawer may be freelyopenedand the lowermost cigar which rests in the recess be removed by the purchaser. As the drawer moves outward, the support for the coin theretofore furnished by its edge resting against the vertical posts is removed, and it slides from the pan into the money-receptacle beneath. \Vhen the drawer is released, it is carried back to its closed position by the spring, the pile of cigars falls one space, so that the lowermost one of the pile is in the recess in the drawer, and.

the hook engages by gravity with the lockingaperture.

As these machines might be left in charge of some person whose duty it would be to replenish the stock from time to time, but to whom it was undesirable to intrust the key of the money-receptacle, or to give access to the working parts, the partition is arranged to be held in place by-the locking device, which is accessible only from the money-receptacle, as heretofore set forth.

I claim 1. In an automatic vendirig-machine, the combination, with the case and the goodsdrawer arranged to slide therein, and thelocking devices for the latter, of the movable partition and the locking-tongue projecting downward into the money receptacle, the chute extending from the locking devices upward to a point near the top of the partition, and the movable block provided with a slot and adapted to connect the slotted case-front with the chute, substantially as set forth.

In a machine of the character described, the combination, with the case, the goodsdrawer and the money-drawer, of the partition arranged and adapted to slide vertically in ways parallel with the front of the case, the downwardly-cxtended tongue projecting into the money-drawer, and a fastening device whereby the withdrawal of the slide is prevented, substantially as specified.

3. In an automatic vemling-machine, the combination, with the drawer having a goodsrecess and a locking-aperture, of a bracket secured in the case above the drawer, a hooked and overbalanced lever pi voted to the bracket and engaging the drawer, as described, said bracket provided with posts at the rear of the lever, whereby the edge of the coin is engaged, and the chute terminating directly over the rear end of the lever and in front of the posts, substantially as described.

t. In an automatic vending-machine, the combination,with the case, of the cash-drawer, the goods-drawer having a locking-aperture .draWer, whereby said partition is held as against withdrawal from the top of the case, all arranged as described, and for the purpose specified.

'5. In an automatic, vending-machine, the combination, with the goods-receptacle, the goods-drawer, the looking devices, and the chute, of the cover and the slotted block hinged thereto, said block adapted to slide into or out of the top of the goods-receptacle, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the case, the chute, the drawer, and the locking mechanism, of the slot at the front of the case for the introduction of thecoin, the cover for the closing of the top of the case, and the block having therethrough oblique slot, said block hinged to the cover and adapted thereby to be raised and lowered relative to the chute and coin-slot, as set forth.

7. In an automatic vending-machine, the combination, with the case, of the removable partition arranged therein and forming a backing for the goods-receptacle, and a lock connected with said partition and extending into the money-receptacle, substantially as specified.

8. In an automatic vending-machine, the combination, with the drawer having a recess and also a locking-aperture, of the pivoted locking-lever secured to the rear of the case, the chute extending from the front of the case to the rear of the locking-lever, and a stop arranged at the rear of the hook, whereby the coin is detained until the drawer is opened, substantially as specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HENRY T. CREPEAU.

W'itnesses:

GEO. P. GODDARD, J. W. GOO'DWIN. 

